Sudbury mayor plans to take second shot at ward fund reforms

The debate over Sudbury city council's so-called "slush funds" isn't over yet.

Two weeks ago council couldn't agree on what to do with the $50,000 each councillor gets in their ward.

After a long debate where some wanted to scrap the funds and some wanted to reform them, no one got what they wanted and the funds remain as they did last term.

But now Mayor Brian Bigger said he's working with city staff on some "new models" for the funds. He'll bring his new ward fund plan to city council at an upcoming meeting.

"We didn't come to a definitive conclusion about the funds," Bigger told council at Tuesday night's meeting.

"The public spoke very clearly in the election that they want to see the politics removed from the decision making."

After the last debate on this issue, Bigger said he was okay with the healthy community initiative funds continuing under the rules set out in 2012, but appears to have changed his mind.

"I'm in the process of working with staff to review a new model or models that will address the community's concerns, while continuing to provide funds to be leveraged and matched by other levels of government," said Bigger.

"I think council was not expecting the outcome of the other night. Council didn't actively make a decision to freeze or unfreeze the funds and I think we owe it to the citizens to do that."